Fish chum system and process for making same

ABSTRACT

A blended fish chum system using dry fish food modified for buoyancy to either provide for a desired floating characteristic or a desired sinking characteristic. Fish oil is added to the fish food used for floating characteristics and fish oil is added to the fish food used for sinking characteristics. A starter fish chum comprising sinking fish food to which crustacean oil is added, is mixed with the combination of sinking fish food and fish oil. The floating fish food mixture, which has been dried, is blended with the sinking fish food mixture, which has also been dried, to form the blended fish chum. The mixture ratio is varied to achieve desired floating or sinking characteristics of the resultant blend. The resultant blended fish chum is added to a self regulating mesh bag with its clip/draw string, which is vacuum sealed to ensure freshness and long term dry, non-refrigerated storage.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/737,683 filed Dec. 16, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and improved Chum bait system and processfor making the system and its uniquely blended composition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the problems with chum that is commercially available today isthere is a lot of waste and once the chum is purchased, it cannot bestored without refrigeration. Thus, it is easier to dispose of it thanto try to keep it for re-use. Refrigeration with its required source ofelectricity, is needed just to store the chum. Existing chum can bepurchased in a frozen block form, but should be maintained in thisfrozen state until ready for use; otherwise, the thawed chum begins tospoil.

The present invention is based on this underlying recognition of a needfor an effective all-inclusive fish chum system, where the chum does notrequire electricity for refrigeration or ice and that can be stored forlong periods of time anywhere. The result was the development of a fishchum incorporated in a packaging system for facilitating its storage andeventual dispersion in the water. Further, the chum product developed isnot messy and does not smell.

The present invention can be used on fresh or salt-water fish. The novelfish chum system gives the fisherman freedom and choice to use or not touse. The fisherman can keep the fish chum system close by his hook. Inone embodiment, the packaging components allows for the fish chum systemto be refilled easily any time anywhere with no mess. However, onceused, the fisherman will have to re-seal the fish chum system, or atleast place it in a sealable/closable poly-bag. The invention iseffectively an all-inclusive fish chum system in a kit ready to drop inthe water. The mesh bag incorporated in the invention allows for theself-regulating dispersion of the chum so as not to waste fish chum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a method of or process for combining dryfish food with fish oil and crustacean oils. The end product is acomplete fish chum kit that is self-regulating and that gives afisherman total control of fish chumming results, without the need ofadditional steps such as adding fish oil, water for mixing, or the needto put the chum in a bag suitable for chumming, as is necessary withother chums.

A special chum dispersion self-regulating slotted mesh bag obtains thiscontrolled release. The fish chum system is preferably vacuumed packedso that it doesn't need electricity for refrigeration or ice to storeit. That is, the novel chum system can be stored anywhere, anytime andplenty can be kept on hand without spoiling.

A self-regulating slotted mesh bag can be refilled with the differentchum types available. The chum system can be used on boats, docks,piers, and bridges and can even be used for trolling or drifting. It isgreat for freshwater or saltwater and fish and crab traps. Thisall-inclusive fish chum system, with its special blends, is ready touse, versatile and economical, whereas other products fall short of allof these options.

The important novel packaging components includes a special polyethyleneslotted mesh bag with drawstring. The bag has self-regulating slots thatare vertical top to bottom of the bag. When the fish chum bag is put inthe water, the pulsation of the water action opens and closes theseslots thus letting out small amounts of fish chum. Manually pumping thechum bag lets out a larger amount as needed thus giving the fishermantotal control of the chumming results. When the water currents arestrong or trolling the weight of the chum in the bag pulls the bagstraight causing the slots to close, smaller amount of chum is let out.This action means that the chum bags last just as long in strongcurrents as it does bobbing up and down next to an anchored boat. Thefisherman therefore maintains total control of these actions.

Further, a heavy-duty vacuum pouch (preferably about 5 mil) contains thenovel special fish chum blend, which is in turn contained in the slottedmesh bag. The slotted mesh bag further includes a plastic snap clip. Thechum, bag and clip are vacuumed-sealed for freshness and an extendedshelf-life. This special fish chum system is an all-inclusive kit andready for use. Again the fisherman has total control of his chummingneeds with the availability of this chum kit.

Where this system not only eliminates the need for electricity,refrigeration, or ice, it can be stored in any tackle box. The mixtureratio is varied to achieve desired floating or sinking characteristicsof the resultant blend. The resultant blended fish chum is added to theself regulating mesh bag with its clip and draw string, which allows thechum to disperse at different rates depending on the water conditions.This handy all-inclusive unit gives the fisherman total control of hischumming without the need to add any additional ingredients. The chumbag is vacuum sealed to ensure freshness and long term dry,non-refrigerated storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an example of a typical processfor making the chum; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded partial view of the mesh bag depicting thefilament configuration between the circumferential cords of the bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses the present invention,the chum system, depicted generally as 10, and an example of making thesystem 10, as depicted in the process chart schematically depicted inFIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an exploded partial view of the mesh bag 14 depictingthe filament 24 configuration between the circumferential cords 22 ofthe bag 14.

Before describing a typical example of the process, it should beunderstood what certain components referred in the process are typicallycomprised of. For example, dry fish food is used in the process.Although the ingredients of dry fish food can vary, depending on themanufacturing source, the dry fish food used by the inventor herein isconsistent with a product commercially available from as the F-R-M®Clover Brand from Flint River Mills, Inc. of Tallahassee, Fla.

According to the ingredients listing for this brand, this dry fish foodhas crude protein—minimum 32.000%, crude fat—minimum 2.505%, crudefiber—minimum 6.000%, and crude fiber—maximum 12.000%. It includessoybean meal, corn meal, wheat middling, fish meal, meat and bone meal,alfalfa meal, salt, dicalcium phosphate, vitamin A, vitamin D-3, vitaminE, L-ascobyl-2 polyphosphate, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, pantothenicacid, niacin, vitamin B-12, choline chloride, menadione, sodiumbisulfate, thiamin, mononiticate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid,manganous oxide, calcium iodate, copper oxide, cobalt carbonate, zincoxide, ferrous carbonate, sodium selenite, fish oil, and ethoxyquin.Certainly, one can recognize that not all these ingredients are reallynecessary to provide an adequate fish food. They are only provided as anexample of the listed contents on the packaging for one satisfactoryfish food commercially available to date.

References to “sinking” fish food and “floating” fish food are madeherein below in the description and in the claims. Flint River Mills,Inc., makes available both types of dried fish food, which are typicallyavailable in bulk in 50 pound bags. The dried fish food with floatingcharacteristics is essentially packed not as dense as the sinkingversion. That is, it is “airy” or light so as to be able to float, thatis, provide some measure of buoyancy. The sinking version is moredensely packed as a solid and hard form. This characteristic allows itto sink. Otherwise, the ingredients are essentially similar to thosetypical ingredients described above for the commercially available driedfish food available from the Flint River Mills company.

Although there are several fish oils that would work well with theinventive process and invention, a preferred fish oil is 100% pureManhaden fish oil. Similarly, crustacean oils are also common andreadily available on the commercial market.

The following is an example only for making a typical batch of the chum12, for shallow water and deep water use. Different percentages andingredients may be used to provide for certain performance features suchas depth; however, the following process is an example of a verysatisfactory process, where the performance of the invention 10 was deemvery effective.

Example of Chum Blending Process

Referring to FIG. 2, dry fish foods of two types are used for the base,to facilitate achieving either the desired floating or sinkingcharacteristics. A substantial amount of time was used in testing andblending these two types to achieve the desired blends for the desiredperformance. The blending is typically done in a rotating hopper, notshown in the figures.

For batch no. 1, about 50 lbs of floating dry fish food was used. Thefloating fish food was added to a rotating hopper. About 78 oz of pure100% Menhaden fish oil was added by spraying the fish oil over the dryfish food. Batch no. 1 was removed from hopper and allowed to air dry toachieve a specified or desired hardness.

For batch no. 2, about 50 lbs of sinking dry fish food was placed in therotating hopper. About 50 oz of 100% pure Menhaden fish oil was added byspraying the fish oil over the dry fish food. Before this batch wasremoved, about 3.2 lbs of fish chum starter was added. Batch no. 2 wasthen removed and allowed to air dry to achieve a specified or desiredhardness.

The fish chum starter was made by grinding dry sinking fish food in anytype of grinder to a rough mash. To the rough mash, crustacean oil wasadded by spraying the crustacean oil at a rate of about 1 to 1.5 oz perpound of mash, and the oil/mash combination was then allowed to air dry.The chum starter is important as it releases chum right away when put inwater while the larger chum blends soak up water in about 20 minutesuntil the chum is soft enough to start releasing chum.

One pound of this unique blend of chum expands in water to about 4 lbsand two to three times its dry size. The two batches were blendedtogether for a desired blend, as described below.

The shallow water fish chum blend is recommended for water depths up to20 feet. The preferred blend for this shallow water performancecharacteristic was achieved by mixing 2 parts floating mix and 1 partsinking/chum starter mix per pound of total mixture.

The deep water fish chum blend is recommended for a water depth of 20feet or more. The preferred blend for this deep water performancecharacteristic was achieved by mixing 2 parts sinking/chum starter mixand 1 part of floating mix per pound of total mixture.

For each blend selection made, the selected blend is placed into aself-regulating slotted mesh bag 14 with a pull cord or draw string 16and snap clip 18. These components will be further described below.

The chum kit is installed in pouch 20, which is vacuum-sealed. The kitor invention 10 is vacuum-sealed for freshness and longevity. Thisresultant vacuumed sealed kit 10 gives the fisherman the freedom tochoose when to use the chum, anytime, anywhere, without the need to addany additional ingredients. No worries like frozen chums that need iceor refrigeration to keep the chum fresh. This kit can be stored anywherewith out the use electricity. This is also an economical money savingfactor for the retailer.

Below is another example of recipes for 100 lbs of chum (per blend)using a process similar to that described above:

Shallow Water Blend (Floating):

-   -   63 lbs floating fish food    -   31 lbs sinking fish food    -   1 gallon fish oil    -   6 lbs chum starter (a crushed fish food with 6 oz of shrimp or        crustacean oil)        Deep Water Blend (Sinking):    -   63 lbs sinking fish food    -   31 lbs floating fish food    -   1 gallon fish oil    -   6 lbs chum starter (a crushed fish food with 6 oz of shrimp or        crustacean oil)

Referring back to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 depicts the clip 18 that is attached tothe pull cord or draw string 16 of the chum bag 14. This clip 18 is alsoused to attach the chum bag to a fixed object or lanyard, generally arope or cable or other similar type of lanyard typically used in themarine fishing industry. This allows the fisherman to decide how to usethe bag 14 containing the chum 12. He can keep the bag 14 close by orlet it out on a rope. Although clip 18 can be made from a variety ofmaterials, it preferable that it be made from a polymeric or plasticmaterial and that it be a snap type for easy attachment to the drawstring 16 and/or rope. Draw string 18 serves as means for closing andsecuring off the open end of the bag 14 after it has been filled withchum 12. The draw string 18 can also be loosened and opened to add morechum 12 to an existing bag 14.

Bag 14 is a mesh bag designed when in use to self-regulate thedispersion or distribution of the chum 12. As shown in FIG. 3, theessentially parallel intermediate circumferential cords 22 arespaced-apart a desired distance, typically about ½ inch apart. Betweeneach cord 22, a filament 24 is cyclically woven in a generallycontinuous and cyclical V-shape pattern or M-shape pattern, or what canalso be described as a zig-zag pattern. Each filament, as a practicalmatter, is about 1/64 inch to about 1/32 inch in thickness or width.

The weave of the filament 24 between each pair of cords 22 effectivelyforms slots 26 in the bag 14 that are vertical top to bottom to the bag14. This is one of the important features contributing to theperformance success of the invention by self-regulating the amount offish chum 12 released. This controlled release is done by the weight ofthe chum 12 pulling on the bag 14. With the bag 14 full of chum 12 andlowered in the water with a heavy current, the weight of the fish chum12 pulls on the bag 14 closing off the slots 26 thus slowing down therelease of fish chum 12. That is, when the bag 14 is stretched, theslots 26 close off as the filaments 24 pull close together. Statedanother way, when the bag 14 containing the fish chum 12 is put in thewater the pulsation of the water action opens and closes these slots 26,thus letting out small amounts of fish chum 12. This action means that afull chum bag 14 will last just as long hanging on the side of ananchored boat or pier as it would be trolled by a boat or dropped inheavy current. The chum bag 14 is also reusable and can be refilled. Onthe other hand, when the bag 14 is not exposed to any kind of currentforce or tension, the bag does not stretch and the woven slots 26 are ina more open state, thereby allowing the release of more chum 12.Further, manually pumping the bag 14 containing the chum 12 lets out alarger amount as needed thus giving the fisherman total control of thechumming results. If the water currents are strong or trolling theweight of the chum 12 in the bag pulls the bag straight causing theslots to close thus letting out a smaller amount of chum. This actionmeans that the chum bags last just as long in strong currents as it doesbobbing up and down next to an anchored boat. The fisherman thereforehas total control of these actions.

Although the bag 14 can be made from a variety of materials, where it isanticipated that chum 12 will be used in a salt water marineenvironment, it is preferred that the bag 14 be made from a polymericbase material such as polyethelene material or fiberglass.

The vacuum pouch 20 is typically a polymeric laminate material andshould be heavy duty. For example, a heavy-duty 5-mil vacuum pouch canbe used. After the desired blended chum 12 is placed in the mesh bag 14,the draw string 16 with its attached clip 18 is used to tie off the bag14. The filled bag 14 is then vacuum sealed using the laminate materialor pouch 20. This vacuum sealing operation provides for extendedfreshness and an extended shelf life of the chum 12. This special fishchum system 10 is therefore an all-inclusive kit and ready for use.Again the fisherman has total control of his chumming needs with theavailability of this chum kit 10. This kit 10 eliminates the need forelectricity, refrigeration, ice and can be stored in any tackle box.

It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detaileddescription of one or more embodiments of this invention and thatnumerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordancewith the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant tolimit the scope of the invention.

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A process for making a blended fish chumcomprising: mixing a first batch of floating dry fish food and fish oil,and allowing said mixed floating dry fish food and fish oil to dry; andmixing a second batch of a blend of sinking dry fish food and fish oil,and a fish chum starter, the fish chum starter being a dried mixture ofground mashed sinking dry fish food and crustacean oil, and allowing thesecond batch to dry, wherein when a shallow water performance is desiredfor the resultant blended fish chum, the first batch and second batchare further mixed at a weight ratio of about 2 parts of the first batchto 1 part of the second batch per pound of total mixture of the blendedfish chum, and wherein when a deep water performance is desired for theresultant blended fish chum, the first batch and second batch arefurther mixed at a weight ratio of about 1 part of the first batch to 2parts of the second batch per pound of total mixture of the blended fishchum.
 18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the crustacean oilis added to the sinking fish food of the fish chum starter, at a rate ofabout 1 to 1.5 ounces per pound of mashed sinking fish food.
 19. Theprocess according to claim 17, wherein the fish oil is added to thesinking fish food of the sinking fish food blend at a rate of about 1ounce per pound of sinking fish food.
 20. The process according to claim17, wherein the fish oil is added to the floating fish food of the firstbatch at a rate of about 1.5 ounces per pound of floating fish food. 21.The process according to claim 19, wherein the fish oil is 100 percentMenhaden fish oil.
 22. The process according to claim 20, wherein thefish oil is 100 percent Menhaden fish oil.
 23. The process according toclaim 17, wherein the ratio of fish chum starter to sinking fish food towhich the fish oil has been added in the second batch is about 3 poundsof fish chum starter to 50 pounds of sinking fish food.
 24. The processaccording to claim 17, further comprising: inserting a desired quantityof the corresponding resultant blended fish chum in a mesh bag andclosing the mesh bag using means for closing said mesh bag.
 25. Theprocess according to claim 24, wherein the mesh bag further comprises:means for attaching a lanyard to the mesh bag when in use, said meansfor attaching the lanyard being detachably attached to the means forclosing the mesh bag.
 26. The process according to claim 24, wherein themesh bag is made from polymeric filament material and is woven to so asto form slotted openings, the slotted openings forming a plurality ofgenerally V-shaped openings.
 27. The process according to claim 26,wherein when the mesh bag is placed in a condition that stretches thebag, the generally V-shaped openings close to reduce a dispersion of thedried blended fish chum in the water, when the mesh bag is placed in acondition that allows for relaxation of the bag, the generally V-shapedopenings open to allow an increased dispersion of the dried blended fishchum in the water.
 28. The process according to claim 26, wherein themesh bag includes a plurality of spaced-apart cords circumferentiallysurrounding the mesh bag, between each of which the generally V-shapedopenings are formed by the woven filament material.
 29. The processaccording to claim 28, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart cords areeach spaced apart about ½ inch.
 30. The process according to claim 24,wherein the means for closing the mesh bag is a draw string.
 31. Theprocess according to claim 25, wherein the means for attaching thelanyard to the mesh bag is a clip.
 32. The process according to claim24, further comprising: vacuum sealing the closed mesh bag containingthe desired quantity of the corresponding resultant blended fish chum toensure long term freshness and non-refrigerated storage of the desiredquantity of the corresponding resultant blended fish chum, until readyfor use.